Fruit-severing device



April 1931. R. M. CONKLlN 1,799,282

FRUIT SEVERING DEVICE Filed Oct. 21, 1927 z? I w W Y INVENTOR :1 ROBERT M.CONKL|N l BY 7 A TTORIVEY Patented Apr. 7, 1931 smea-swam:

ROBERT iv'riconxL-mf, or JnnsEicIrY, NEW JERSEY" r noirgsnvnnmennyrcn' Application fi1-edi0ctober 21g'1927. Seria1No.22 7,847.' V

Theinvention relatestoa device for; severing spherical fruit, such, as oranges and'like:

articles. V j a The primary ObJGCt of: the, invention s. to 5 iprovidea simplified fruit:severing-device: de-v signed for-use at soda .fountains and other places WVllQIfG'liIlS required that large numbers of" oranges; lemons 'and the like be quickly 1' halved for; the preparation. of drinks.

Among the other objects of the invention is; to provide forithe approximate-centering of the object to.;be severedand'the receivingof the severed halves: in position readily accessible to the operator to provide forthe 1 drainage of drippings from: the severed fruit; 8 to provioe a; construction which can be easily manipulated, which will i be quiet its-operation and which will feature exposed parts which will render the articleeasily cleaned'and in generalwhich will .featurethe construction of a sanitary article at low production cost. 1 l

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be. in 1 part: obvious from an inspection, ofthe accomp anying; drawings and in part: will1becxmore fullyset forth in. the. following particular; description: of one;

form of mechanism embodying-my-invention, and the invention :alsotconsists lIE'CI-fiLlIL new 3 and novel features; of: construction and combination of parts hereinafter set. forth? and claimed.

' In the accompanyingdrawing:

Fig, 1 isa plan view 'lookingxdown upon apreferred embodiment of theinvention Figs. 2, and 3" are vertical sectional views 1 taken respectively on the; lines 272.1 and I33- of Fig. 1 looking in the directions indicated by the arrows and. with parts of Fig. 2 broken away to show normallyhidden structures; and i Fig. ri a plan. View 'or ale underside. of

the structure shown in Fig: 21 looking at the;

end in thedirection indicated bythe arrow- ""f numbered 4.x

7 The device comprisesxpri-marilv aicastingiv 10 of metal, the upper side of which is; enameled to. enhance its sanitary appearance. I The; casting: lO-includes a base plate 11 1 outlined by an integral.dependingwall 12Jh avinga depth suificientto elevate the baseplate some distance; 1 above; the support indicated at 13.. The wall112 is thickened at four equis distant points to provide supporting feet 21 1 andthe feet" 14:);316 in turn provided,- with semi-spherical buttonsf 15 providing point contacts with thesupport13; I

When viewed, inplan the base plate is somewhat in the form of an equal arm cross and'is provided'centrally'of its'longest di- 1 mension with a drainage slot 16. opening therethrongh adjacentits central portion.

Considered-win its other longest dimension transversely oflthe length ofthe slot 16 the base plate is provided with-three recesses-17,

ceiving the whole fruit or other object? 21 shown in dotand dash linein Fig 3 and for this reason isreferred-to hereinafter as a centering recess. 7 The edges of the outer recesses 18 and 19 at their points adjacent the recess 17 are positioned relatively close to the recess 17 so as to form relatively sharp dividingridges 22 and 23 which are disposed so that when the; object-21 is severedas shown iii-Fig, 3, thercut halves will fall outwardly away from the severing; knife 24 and fall into the recesses 18- and 19 with the severed sides 25. facing upwardly The base: plate. 11 is: provided in prolongation of the slot 16 with two upstanding pivotr ing 1ugs'26 and 27 spaced apart on opposite sides of the slot-and containing a removable pivotzpin 28 to which is pivoted the knife 24.

' Washers:29: are positioned between the kniiev and the adjacent lugs'toset'the knife foroperable'movement in the plane ofltheslot, At the oppositeendof thebase-Aplate llthereis provided] a square recess 30 in prolongation, of'theslot and a flat topped squareof-rubber 31'isreplaceably positionedin thelrecess 30.

The knife24 comprises aknife-blade 32 preferably of stainless steel and a handle 33 at its free end. The handle is somewhat T- shaped in form and includes a central portion 34 the underside 35 of which is flat, relatively bread and provides an extensive engagement with the flat top of the rubber cushioning seat 31. The handle also includes two upstanding laterally. extending horns 36 which provide a convenient grip extending across the fingers of the operators hand and the parts are so disposed that the handle elevates the operators hand above any possible contact with the top of the base plate.

At opposite ends of the slot 16 the outlining wall is curved as shown in Fig. at to form opposing basin engaging walls 37 and 38. Fositioned beneath the base plate and extending lengthwise of the slot is a catch basin 39 the ends of which have a frictionally tight fit between the walls 37 and 38. In this way the catch basin is secured to and removable from the device as a whole but may be quickly separated to permit the emptying of the catch basin.

In operation, the article to be severed quickly positioned in the centering recess 17 with the knife elevated. It Is not necessary to hold the object 21 as the circular confor mation of the recess will tend to center the object with sufiicient approxii ation to insure the substantial halving of the article. The knife is grasped preferably with the operators fingers extending in pairs on pposite sides of the central portion 3% and the knife is lowered into the position shown in Fig. 2 and at the same time, the object is severed. The cushion provided by the rubber seat prevents any metallic clicking of the parts and insures a quiet operation of the device. Any dripping which may accumulate in the centering recess or in fact on any part of the base plate except the recesses 18 and 19 will drain through the slot and be received in the catch basin.

Should it be desired to clean the device the catch basin can be separated by a forceful pull thereon. lhe pivot pin may be removed thus releasing the knife and this leaves all of the parts exposed for easy cleansing.

I claim:

.1. In a device for severing spherical fruit and the like, the combination of a casting including a base plate provided wlth an integral outlining wall depending fro-mthe plate, said wall having a plurality of thickened portions providing supporting feet for the device, the wall at oppos te sides of the device having opposing portions extend ng parallel to each other and adapted to receive opposite ends of a catch basin, said base plate provided with a. drainage slot adapted to discharge into the catch basin located by said opposing portions of the wall, said plate having depressions formmg a central fruit centering recess bisected by said slot and two outer spherical section recesses on opposite sides of the centering recess, said outer recesses disposed relatively close to the central recess and coacting therewith to form a pair of ridges therebetween and a severing knife pivotally mounted at one end and movable in a plane longitudinally of the slot for severing the fruit in the central recess.

2. In a fruit severing device, a one piece hollow casting including a top plate provided with a drainage slot, an outlining side wall, a pair of knife pivoting lugs spaced apart to provide a knife receiving clearance aligned with the slot in the top plate and said plate provided with three upwardly ex posed recesses disposed in alignment transversely of the slot with the slot bisecting the middle recess. 7

3. In a fruit severing device, a one piece hollow casting including a top plate provided with a drainage slot, an outlining side wall, a pair of knife pivoting lugs spaced apart to provide a knife receiving clearance aligned with the slot in the top plate and said plate provided with three upwardly exposed recesses disposed in alignment transversely of the slot with the slot bisecting the middle recess and a knife pivotally mounted in the clearance beween said lugs and movable in the plane of the slot.

4. A device for severing a spherical object, comprising a base plate provided on its upper face with an upwardly facing concaved circular recess outlined by a sharp circular edge constituting a means for centering and holding the spherical object on top of the plate and a knife pivotally mounted at one end to the base plate in spaced relation to the recess, extending diametrically across the recess bisecting said circular edge and guided for movement in a plane at right angles to the plane of the plate to pass through the centered object.

5. A device for severing a spherical object, comprising a base plate provided with three recesses in its top face disposed in alignment, the middle recess constituting a centering recess to receive the object to be severed and the outer recesses adapted to receive the severed halves of the object and a severing knife operable in a plane extending diametrically across the centering recess and trans versely of the line of recesses.

6. In a device for severing spherically shaped fruit and the like, the combination of a base plate provided with a pair of upwardly facing fixedly spaced apart, semispherical recesses to receive the severed halves of the fruit after it has been cut, and apivotally mounted severing knife movable in a plane between the recesses and bisecting a line connecting the centers of said recesses, and the edges of the recesses adjacent said plane being positioned close to the same whereby the severed halves will tend to fall over away from each other and from the knife and be received in said recesseswith their severed sides facing upwardly.

7. In a device for severing spherically shaped fruit and the like, the combination of a base plate provided with three recesses, all circular in plan, disposed in alignment and forming a pair of relatively sharp ridges between the central recess and each of the outer recesses and a severing knife mounted for operative movement in a plane extending diametrically of the center'recess and spaced equidistant from both ridges.

8. A device for severing fruit and the like,

comprising a base plate provided with a long drainage slot opening therethrough and confined'within the-outlines ofthef plate, and said top also provided with an upwardly facing centering recess adapted to receive and locate on top of the base plate the fruit to be severed, said'recess opening into said slot and saidslot extendingdiametrically of the recess and projecting beyond the outline thereof, and a knife for severing the fruit located in the recess and said knife mounted for movement in a plane extending :longitudinally of the slot and bisectingsaid re- 9. A device for severing fruit and the like, comprising a base platehaving a drainage opening therein, said base plate provided with a down turned outlining flange forming an open bottom hollow structure, and a readily removable catch basin secured to and carried by said device beneath thebase plate and within said hollow structure for receiving the discharge through said slot.

plate with the basin removed providing easy access to both sides to facilitate cleaning, and a knife pivoted to the base plate for severing the fruit on top of the base plate.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination of a base plate provided with a slot, a fiat knife cushioning device fitted in the plate in prolongation of and at one end of the slot and flush with the top of the plate, a knife movable in the plane of the slot having one end pivoted to the plate and having adjacent its free end a flat cushion engaging face adapted to engage the cushioning device at the limit of its downstroke and the cutting edge of the knife disposed in said slot and protected by theplate when in en 7 gagement with said cushioning device.

13. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a base plate provided with a recess in its top face,a rubber pad fitted in said recess and a knife pivoted to the plate andprovided with a broad fiat pad engaging face adapted to rest normally on said rubber pad andsaid plate coacting with the cutting edgeof the knife to prevent exposure of said cutting edge whenthe knife is in its norma position engaging said rubber pad.

14. In a'device of the class described, the

combination of a'base plate, a knife pivoted at one end to the base'plate and provided at its free end with a handle T-shaped in plan having a central base supported portion to which the knife blade issecured and having two outstanding upwardly curved horns projecting laterally; of the plane of the blade and spaced a distance above the bottom of the central portion to prevent a hand engaging the horns from contacting with any surface on which the central portion rests.

15. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a base plate, a knife pivoted at one end to the base plate and provided at its free end with a handle T-shaped in plan having a central portion to which the knife blade is securedand having two outstanding horns projecting laterally of the planeof the blade, the underside of the central portion being flat and providing a relatively broad base for the free end of the knife adapted to provide a wide area of engagement with a knife cushioning device.

16. A fruit severing device, comprising a base plate, a knife pivoted at one end to the plate for movement in a vertical plane through the fruit, and said plate provided on opposite sides of said plane with upwardly facing depressed portions forming spherical section recesses fixedly spaced apart and adapted to receive the severed halves of the ruit.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 14th day 7 of October A. D. 1927.

ROBERT M. CON-KLIN. 

